Monday, December 15, 2008

Chas 'N' Dave

A CD I bought today for 50p in a charity shop. Two discs- one of Christmas songs and carols and the other a long medley of cockney favourites. Heres a mixure of some of the best tracks as a Xmas treat. It's on the Crimson label and probably still available. Dated 2001.

"Chas & Dave are Cockney pop rock music artists, often billed as Chas 'n' Dave or erroneously as Chaz 'n' Dave. Their full names are Chas Hodges (piano, vocals, banjo, guitars) and Dave Peacock (bass guitar, vocals, banjo, guitars), with Mick Burt on drums. They were regulars on British TV from 1975 onwards and had hits like "Gertcha", their first, as well as "Rabbit" and "The Sideboard Song". Their music was featured in a TV beer advertising campaign which also helped to establish them in the United Kingdom. The unique cockney style of singing was from the start intentional. They felt an alternative to the way British bands copied American accents was needed. The songs above are partly comic, and Chas 'n' Dave are identified with London pub culture. But their 1982 number 2 hit, "Ain't No Pleasing You" was a more romantic record, with strings added to the usual piano, drum and bass sound. 'Rockney' has been coined as a term for their music style. They have always done a great deal of live work, and are currently doing shows all over the UK. "Snooker Loopy" is a comic song about snooker by Chas and Dave. Chas and Dave have remained famous, in part, because of the songs they have written and recorded for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Among their most famous Spurs recordings are "Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur", "Ossie's Dream", "Hot Shot Tottenham", "When the Year Ends in One", "Tottenham Tottenham" and the "Spurs Medley"."

A bonus festive treat for you all - well, some of you maybe! I love Chas 'N' Dave and forgive them the dreadful cockney caperings and "Stars On 45" type medleys they do but at the heart of their music is a great musicianship and a refreshing use of the local venacular without stooping to affect a mid Atlantic drawl like so many seems to do for some reason. They write good catchy songs too as their many hits denote."The Sideboard Song" "Margate" "Gertcha" to name but a few.Here is a radio show from the 80's or maybe 90's when they were at their height. Full of Xmas cheer and jolly good up kneesing- cor blimey guv!